Talking-machine.



M. KRAUSS.

TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l. 1918.

1,291,556. Patented Jan. 14,1919.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEYS MM 'FJW M. KRAUSS.

TALKING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FlLED JULY 1.19l8.

11,291,556. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

o7 LINE 7-7; FIG. 6'.

1 3%) INVENTO BY I I '6 Q jg ATTORNEYS MAX KRAUSS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TALKING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d J 14, 1919,

Application filed July 1, 1918. Serial No. 242,705.

My invention relates to the general class.

of talking or sound-reproducing machines which play records in the form of flat disks, and has for its primary object the construction of a machine in which a plurality of records, either single or double-faced, and of any desired diameter, can be set up, and any one of them, at the selection of the operator, be played,the entire group being adapted to be turned around to present to the stylus their opposite faces, or be taken.

out and replaced by another group.

The general plan and organization of the machine is such that it is a mere matter of dimensions as to what number, or diameter or character of disk records it can play, a'large machine being capable of receiving and playing a larger number of records than a smaller machine.

My invention embodies certain improvements upona talking machine invented by and patented to me under United States Letters Patent, No. 1,199,192, dated September 26, 1916, and'its object is particularly to simplify the construction of and means for applying and controlling the tone arm with relation to the several records.

Other objects are to make easy the application of the sound-box to records of different dimensions by simplifying the control of the soundbox in its application to the special tone arm which I use, making control of the soundbox and stylus in the application of the latter to the record, both easy and accurate.

Other objects are to simplify the construction of the talking machine of my patent referred to, add to its elliciency, and cheapen its cost.

For a clear understanding of the features of improvement which my present invention embodies, reference is to be made to my patented machine, so much of the construction of which as I utilize in connection with my improvements as is necessary to an understanding ofthem, being represented in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described.

My present machine, like that patented to me, is adapted for use with any form of soundbox the stylus of which can operate either upon the up-and-down tone groove of the type of the Edison or the in-andout groove of the type of the Victor machines, only one sound box being necessary to enable the operator to at will select and play any one of any desired number of records which happen to be set up in the machine.

The machine, moreover, is capable of being operated by any preferred type of motor, mechanical or electrical.

For the purpose of illustrating my improvements, I have represented in the accompanying drawings a type or embodiment of them which is at present preferred by me, because in practice it has given satisfactory and reliable results.

It is to be understood, however, that the various instrumentalities in which my invention is embodied can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not therefore limited to the precise arrangement and organization of such instrumentalities as are typified in the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and herein described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a top plan vlew of a talking machine embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the upper portion of the front of the cas1ng,-- the view particularly illustrating the lever and latch devices which control the several possible positions of the tone arm and sound box with relation to a selected record.

Fig. 3 represents in fragmentary, side, sectional elevation, on the dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the machine of Fig. 1, certain of its component instrumentalities being shown in side elevation.

.Fig. 4: is a perspective view of my selector lever and applied latch removed from the machine.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4../

Fig. 6 'is a plan of the tone arm broken off as to its outer or soundbox end and sectional on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation through the soundbox end portion of the tone arm, taken on the dotted line 7'-7 of gimilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings 6 1 designates a vertically standing casing or cabinet of any preferred character, material and dimensions, which by means of a partition 2, shown as horizontally disposed, is divided into two hollow interior compartments, the upper of which I designate 3 and the lower 1 v Within the upper compartment are located the groups of separately removable disks or records each of which is designated by the number 5. Within the upper compartment is located a vertically disposed soundbox 6 of any preferred type and carrying the usual stylus 7.

The central portion or body of the tone arm proper, designated 8, in the form shown, is normally a horizontally disposed hollow tube which at its outer or front end is provided with a movable member which I designate as 9, which in turn at its outer end carries the sound box 6, and is through a jointed connection, particularly illustrated 1n Fig. 7, connected with said body of the tone arm.

This jointed connection is conveniently composed of an internal sleeve 10, of cylindric form, brazed, welded or otherwise positively connected with the outer end of the member 9 and is formed with openings 11, 12, respectively communicatin with said member 9 and the body 8 of t e tone arm. Encompassing this internal sleeve 10 is the cap sleeve 13, also cylindric and brazed,

welded or otherwise connected with the tone arm body 8' and connected with the internal sleeve 10 by threaded stems 14, 15. It is obvious that this mounting of 13 upon 10 is .of a positive character and yet such as to permit of the lateral swing of the member 9 relatively to the body 8, without preventing the flow of the tone from and through 8 and 9 to the sound box 6.

In order at the will and control of the operator to apply the stylus to the starting record sound groove, I. apply to this jointed device 10, 13 what I designate as a springlever 16'which at its outer end is bent to form a spiral spring 17 which encompasses the cap sleeve 13, below the tone arm, and

therefrom extends in the form of an attaching lip 18 to connect or fastenitself upon the movable member 9 of the tone arm. By this means I can maintain said member in a position where the stylus is in contact with a sound groove, or if desired, away from the pladne of the record in which the grooves are To control the swing ,or flexure of the direction under t movable member 9 through the spring lever 16, I employ a rock arm 19 trunnioned in bearings 20 mounted on the side of the elbow 25 of the tone arm above the partition in the casing. The inner end of the rock arm is inverted to form a heel or catch 21 which bears against the inner end of the lever 16 which latter may be, if desired to form a positive connection, bent over to form the 100 22.

he outer end of the rock arm extends through a horizontal slot 23 in the front wall of the casing and is conveniently overturned to form a knob handle 24, by pressure upon which, against the stress of the spring 17, the control of the movable member 9 of the tone arm and the sound box is effected. The rock arm being, as explained, attached to the tone arm, obviously moves with said tone arm in its travel transversely of the front face of the casing, and is, of course, controllable from the outside of the casing from whatever position the tone arm and sound box may, for the time being, occupy.

tally disposed and adapted to move upon the horizontally placed rods 26*, in either e control of the selector lever 27 positively attached at its inner end to the tone arm body 8. The elbow lever:

25 passes vertically downward through a longitudinal slot 28 in the partition 2, and

extends as a horn carrier '29 downwardly to engagement with the amplifier or horn in thelower compartment, not shown.

The selector arm 27 extends through a longitudinal arm slot 30 in the front of the casing, through which it may move in either direction, and is adapted in its movement and at a desired point, to be manually deflected upwardly or downwardly so as, at the will of the operator, to be entered with in any one of a plurality of vertical slots 31, extending upwardly from the arm slot 30 to or near to the upper edge of the framework of the casing. 7

Each one of these vertical slots 31 is formed as to one of its sides with a pair of the pivotal connec selector is desiglever is a lever latch 34 tion of which to sai nated 35.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4 and 5,-36 is a tapered blade formed or applied to the under face of the lever latch 34 in proximity to its pivot. This tapered blade is in the normal mounting of the parts, so disposed as to be entered within a blade slot 37 in the selector arm. This blade slot in the construction shown, opens u on the left hand side of the selector lever 2 see Fig. 4, and is adapted as to one of its tapering surfaces to bear against a spring plate 38 attached to the side of the selector lever to the rear of the slot 37 and extend ing forward, that is to say along the length of its selector lever, to a certain dlstance toward its handle and out of parallelism rock arm of the stylus into the beglnnin either .a ten or a twe ve inch of the tone arm with the plane of its side.

The function of this spring plate 38 in the mounting of the parts, is to make possible, under the thrust of the latch lever 34, the engagement of the selector lever and the tone arm, V with respect to either the upper notch 32 or the lower notch 33 of a given vertical slot 31. Obviously by an evidently possible dual manipulation of the selector lever and its lever latch, that is by compressing the-latch with relation to the lever, the tapered blade 36 may beforced downward against the spring plate 38, with the result that, under the control of the operator, the tone arm and sound box are so locked with relation to the record in local connection with which they have been placed, as through the supplementary control of the 19, to make possible the entrance sound groove of record, according records upon the group of records.

In order to effect a jointed connection and permit of the accurately controlled up and down swing or fiexure of the tone arm and sound box, relatively to the bent or elbow member 25 of the horn carrier, I resort to the following construction, which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 6, and which is preferably of essentially similar character to that of the jointed connection between the body of the tone arm 8 and its movable member 9.

40 is an internalsleeve of cylindric form, brazed, welded or otherwise positively connected with the inner end of the tone arm body 8 and formed with openings 41, 42, respectively communicating with the body 8 and with the elbow member 25. Encompassing this internal sleeve 40 is a cap sleeve 43, also cylindric and brazed, welded or otherwise connected with the elbow member 25. The caps 44 of this to the disposition of such shaft 39 which carries the when considered as a unit,

sleeve 43 which inclose the jointed connection as an entirety, are conveniently trunnioned on trunnion pins 46, axial of and connected with the internal sleeve 40 and extending oppositely from its ends. It is evi dent that this mounting of 43 upon 40 is of a positive character, and yet such, as in the case of the jointed connection between the tone arm body 8 and its movable member 9, as to permit of the up and down swing of the tone arm and its adjuncts relatively to the elbow member 25, without in any way affecting the flow of tone through the sound arm down to the horn carrier.

In the application of my present invention to talking machines of the character of that patented to me and hereinbefore referred to, I find it convenient also to make use of certain improvements which relate to the mounting of groups or series of records and constitute the subject-matter of an application for patent executed by me upon the 27th day of June, 1918, and filed by me June 29, 1918, Serial No. 242,549.

I do not, however, restrict myself to the use of my present .improvement either to my patented machine or that of the foregoing application, as I contemplate its application in connection with other types of talking machines which embody pluralities of records.

Having now described a convenient construction typically embodying my invention and the means by which its components are operated, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise forms of selector levers and lever latches,-nor to the precise constructions of the jointed connections .between the body of the tone arm and its sound carrying member and the body of the tone arm and its elbow connection to the amplifier,nor yet, indeed, to the particular forms of rock arm and lever and spring control for the movable member of the tone arm,-as, obviously, these embodiments may be modified and structurally but not inherently altered without affecting the scope of my invention or departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. A sound-reproducing machine of the character described, which comprises in combination :a casing,-a group of revoluble records disposed in adjacent parallel planes,a tone arm provided with a soundbox and adapted to be lifted or dropped so as to present the soundbox to any one of the group of records,-a selector lever positively connected with the body of the tone arm, extending through a laterally notched slot in the face of the casing and adapted to control the movement of the tone arm with relation to any one of the records of the group,-and a lever latch pivoted to said &

selector lever, extending through said notched slot of the casing and carrying a spring plate attached to the selectorlever to control its engagement or disengagement with a notch of the slot.

2. A machine of the class described, which embodies in combination :a casing,-a group of revoluble records disposed in parallel planes,a tone arm consisting of a body portion and a soundbox-carrying member adjustably connectedtherewith,-a selector lever positively connected with the body of the tone arm and extending through a face of the casing so as to be operative from the exterior thereof,a rock shaft connection with both the body of the tone arm and its soundbox-carrying member, which is controllable from the exterior of the casing, and a spring control for normally maintaining the soundbox-carrying member in a predetermined desired position.

3. A machine of the class described, which embodies in combination :--a casing, the front face of which is slotted both horizontally and vertica1ly,a tone arm consisting of a body portion and a soundbox-carrying member,-and a selector lever positively connected with the upper surface of the rear end of the body of the tonearm and normally extending through the horizontal slot of the. casing, but adapted to be laterally shifted to have movement within any one of the vertical slots.

4. A machine of the class described, which embodies in combination :--a casing, the front face of which is slotted both horizontally and vertically,a tone arm consisting of a body portion anda soundbox-carryingmember,a selector lever positively connected with the upper face of the rear end of the body of the tone arm and normally extending through the horizontal slot of the casing, but adapted to be laterally shifted to have movement within any one of the vertical slots, and a rock-shaft connection with both the body of the tone arm and its soundbox-carrying member, which is controllable from the exterior of the casing.

5. A machine of the class described in which are combined z-a casing,a group of revoluble records disposed in parallel planes,a tone arm the front end of which has laterally adjustably connected with it a soundbox-carrying member and the rear end of which is adj ustably connected with an amplifier,--an amplifier,a selector lever positively connected with the upper surface of 1 the rear end of the body of the tone arm for moving the tone arm and amplifier lat-j erally' of the casing,means for eife'cting the movement of the soundbox-carrying member from the exterior of the casing, and means for controlling the tone arm and a sound box as an entirety for movement both laterally and vertically of the casing and at upwardly and downwardly of the amplifier.

6. In a talking machine of the class described, the combination of a tone arm adapted to have both lateral and vertical movement with relation to a plurality of revoluble records disposed in adjacent paral-- lel planes,and a selector lever positively connected with the upper face of the rear end of the body of the tone arm and extending externally of the casing.

7, In a talking machine of the class described, the combination of a tone arm adapted to have both lateral and vertical movement with relation to a plurality of revoluble records disposed in adjacent paral- I lel planes,a selector lever positively connected with the body of the tone arm and extending externally of the casing, and a latch lever pivoted to the selector lever and. adapted to lock the selector lever in a given vertical position.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a casing, the front face of which is slotted both horizontally and vertically and which is divided into an upper compartment and a lower compa'rtment,-a plurality of revoluble records disposed in, parallel planes within said casing,a tone arm formed with a soundbox-carrying-member jointed to it,-an amplifier jointedly attached at its upper end to the rear of the sound box and located within the lower compartment and extending upwardly into the upper compartment of the casing,-means for occasioning the travel of the amplifier, 10o tone arm and soundbox laterally of the casing,a selector lever positively connected with the body of the tone arm and extending outwardly through and movable with respect toall' of the slots in the casing,a latch ing,-and a connecting mechanism similarly extending outwardly through all of the slots i in the casing, and internally of the upper compartment. connected with the soundbox-. carrying-member of the tone arm so as to permitof the control of said member from the exterior of the casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 29th day of June, 1918 MAX KRAUS SQ In the presenoe of-. J. BONsALL TAYLOR, C l). MoVAY. 

